Abuse does not always end when a relationship does because sometimes it may move online.
A person may leave the home, block a phone number, and change their passwords, only to find out they are still being tracked through an app or vehicle. An ex may create new accounts to keep making contact, post personal information online, impersonate someone on social media, or threaten to share private or altered images.
Illinois law has not always described those situations as clearly as it should, but a new law taking effect in 2027 was developed to help change that.
Governor JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 3020 on August 7, 2026, under Public Act 104-0754, into law which updates the Illinois Domestic Violence Act to address several forms of digital harassment directly. It also changes portions of the Order of Protection process involving remote hearings, incarcerated parties, and extensions of existing orders.
The Law Now Says More About Digital Abuse
Technology has created countless new ways to stay connected. Unfortunately, it has also created new ways for an abusive person to stay involved in someone else’s life long after that contact is wanted.
SB 3020 specifically addresses electronic tracking and monitoring used to learn about someone’s location, movements, or travel patterns without that person’s knowledge and consent. It also covers repeated electronic or online contact, including contact made indirectly through someone else.
The law goes beyond unwanted messages as it also addresses doxxing, digitally impersonating another person, sharing or threatening to share private sexual images, and using altered images, voices, or other identifying features to falsely represent someone online.
In real life, this could look like a tracking device hidden in/on a car, access to a shared phone account that was never disconnected, a fake social media profile, repeated messages from new numbers, or a threat to post an altered sexual image. These are not harmless online disagreements because they can be used to scare, embarrass, monitor, or maintain control over another person.
Can Digital Harassment Be Part of an Order of Protection?
Under the new law, Illinois courts can address these forms of harassment in an Order of Protection.
Digital abuse does not always come with the kind of evidence people expect as there may be no damaged property or visible injury. Instead, the evidence may be a collection of messages, screenshots, login alerts, suspicious location notifications, unfamiliar devices, or posts that reveal information the other person should not have been privy to.
We have said this before but this is why keeping records can matter! Save messages and account alerts when it is safe to do so. Take screenshots that include dates, names, or usernames. Write down when something happened and how you discovered it. One strange notification may not explain much on its own, but several incidents together may show a pattern of behaviors that merit relief from a court.
If you discover a tracker or realize someone has access to an account, be careful about immediately removing it or changing everything as that may alert the other person while you are determining next steps. An attorney or domestic violence advocate can help you work through the safest ways to preserve the information and protect your accounts.
Remote Hearings Will Be Available Throughout Illinois
SB 3020 also expands access to remote Order of Protection hearings.
Beginning January 1, 2027, courts across Illinois must give petitioners the option to request a remote hearing. The court must grant the request unless there is a good cause to deny it. Petitioners, respondents, and witnesses may appear remotely or in person, depending on the circumstances and procedures established by the court.
Each county will publish its own instructions, so requesting a remote appearance in Cook County may not look the same as requesting one in Will, DuPage, or Kane County.
For a petitioner, this is not simply about saving a trip to the courthouse. Appearing remotely may mean avoiding contact with the other party in a hallway or parking lot. It may also make court more manageable for someone dealing with work, childcare, transportation, health concerns, or the understandable fear of being in the same building as the person named in the petition.
Incarceration Does Not Automatically Eliminate the Need for an Order
The new law makes clear that an Order of Protection cannot be denied solely because either the petitioner or respondent is incarcerated when the order is issued.
Someone who is incarcerated may still be able to contact another person directly or through friends and family. There may also be concerns about what will happen after that person is released. A judge will still need to decide whether the requirements for an Order of Protection have been met, but incarceration alone cannot be the reason for denying it.
Extending a Plenary Order of Protection
The law also provides clearer instructions for extending a Plenary Order of Protection.
Most importantly, a petitioner does not have to wait for another incident of abuse or a violation of the existing order before requesting an extension. If the order has prevented further contact, that should not become a reason to take the protection away.
When the legal requirements are met and there has not been a material change in the circumstances, a court cannot deny an extension only because nothing new happened. An extension may last for a specific amount of time or remain in place until the court modifies or vacates it. The judge may also grant an extension longer than two years when there is good cause.
SB 3020 addresses a common scheduling problem too. If an order will expire before the court has an available hearing date, the extension request must be expedited. The court may keep the order in effect while the request is pending. If the order expires before the hearing occurs, the judge may reinstate and extend it after hearing the motion.
A Separate Law Adds Protection Inside Courthouses
Another law signed on August 7, 2026 addresses a separate concern for victims and witnesses.
Senate Bill 4038, now Public Act 104-0750, places restrictions on unauthorized photos, video recordings, and livestreams inside Illinois state courthouses. The law is not limited to the courtroom. It also applies in courthouse hallways and other areas where victims and witnesses may be waiting, speaking with an attorney, or moving between courtrooms.
Showing up for court can already feel overwhelming. No one, including witnesses, should have to wonder whether someone is secretly recording them in the hallway or posting their presence at the courthouse online.
What These Changes Mean for Illinois Families
SB 3020 puts clearer language around behavior that many people have already experienced. Tracking someone through technology, repeatedly finding new ways to contact them, impersonating them online, or threatening them with private images can cause very real fear and disruption.
A person also should not have to wait for the behavior to become physical before asking what legal options may be available.
If you are dealing with electronic monitoring, repeated online contact, stalking, threats, or another form of domestic abuse, Sterk Family Law Group can help you understand how Illinois law may apply to your situation. Our attorneys assist clients with Orders of Protection and related family law matters throughout Cook, Will, DuPage, and Kane Counties.